


Or You're a Shooting Star

by haloisbent



Category: Glee
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-27
Updated: 2012-11-27
Packaged: 2017-11-19 16:59:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/575544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haloisbent/pseuds/haloisbent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post ep. 2x20 "Prom Queen" <br/>Sam just wishes that sometimes Mercedes could see herself through his eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Or You're a Shooting Star

They were supposed to walk to and from prom, but Rachel caved and called her dads to come pick her up. She was thoughtful enough to offer Sam and Mercedes a ride, but both politely declined before heading towards Mercedes house. They walked a few blocks in silence before Sam spoke.

“Thank you for tonight.” He kept walking with his eyes forward. “I needed to get out of the motel for a while. It was fun.”

Mercedes smiled and looked over at him. “It was fun.” She agreed. “And thank you for tonight.” She looked away, catching him turn his gaze to her in her peripheral.

Sam’s brows furrowed. “For what?”

Mercedes swallowed. “For agreeing to go with me, with us.” She corrected, but she didn’t try to hide that she was mostly talking about herself.

They walked a few more blocks in comfortable silence before Sam decided he should ask, after a full two blocks of internal debating. “Why did you ask me?”

Mercedes and Sam looked at each other for a moment and Sam noticed her shiver. He shrugged out of his blazer and she didn’t object as he draped it over her exposed shoulders. “Thanks.” She smiled. “That’s why.” Sam looked confused. “You’re a great guy, Sam. I mean, I know I was kind of convinced for a few minutes there that you were trying to steal Kurt from my boy Blaine. But-“ She stopped herself. It wasn’t exactly a tender subject anymore, but she didn’t feel like making casual about his family’s situation.

“I would never do that.” Sam shook his head firmly, his plump lips pressed together into a thick line.

“I know. Now, I know.” She gave him a closed mouth smile and his face looked troubled. She couldn’t blame him. “But you’re a really great guy who deserves to have a fun prom with the two hottest girls in school.” She smiled wide at him this time and he smiled in return. “It was Rachel’s idea though, so I can’t really take credit.” She revealed and his face changed again, from happy to something she couldn’t put her finger on. “But I really liked the idea, still do. I don’t even think Kurt could pull off a bolo tie as well as you did tonight.” She smiled and immediately spoke again. “But don’t tell him I said that!”

Mercedes looked to Sam and his face was still unreadable. “Truth is,” She began, seeing that he wasn’t in the mood for light conversation, “I wasn’t asked to prom so I wasn’t going to go.” She might as well lay it out there, she’d give him heavy conversation if he wanted it.

“Really?” He looked to her. “Why not?” He put his cold hands in his pockets as he walked, he was kinda starting to miss his blazer.

“Because I wasn’t going to be by myself for prom.” She stated simply, her eyes on the sidewalk ahead.

“You don’t hit me as the kind of girl who waits around for a guy to ask her out. I’ve always admired that about you, you kind of always go after what you want.” He told her.

“Prom is different. Prom is about being asked, being wooed. Picking out a dress, getting the right shoes, where to eat before so that everyone can see your dress and your date. No one wants to see a sad girl alone in a prom dress at Breadstix shoveling shrimp fettuccine into her face.” Mercedes shrugged beneath Sam’s jacket. “So I was going to stay home, maybe watch a couple movies. I’d rather stay home alone than go to watch everyone else feel special around me.”

Sam waited a few moments to speak, spinning his words around in his head to make sure he didn’t say something wrong. He did that a lot, and this wasn’t the time to open his big mouth and hurt her feelings accidentally. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask you before you and Rachel could ask me. It really was an honor to have you on my arm tonight.”

She smiled, but it never reached her eyes. He could tell that she didn’t believe him. He stopped walking and turned to her. She kept walking a few steps and turned back to him. “Something wrong?”

He put a hand on his hip, fingers splayed over his waistband. “You don’t believe me.” He said and she looked surprised.

“Look, I know who I am and how a lot of people see me. I’m not stupid and I don’t like being patronized. You may have had fun tonight, but you weren’t honored to be there with me.”

“Are you kidding me?” He began speaking the moment she stopped. He didn’t bother filtering his words anymore, no one could hurt her feelings more than she hurt her own. “You’re amazing. You don’t see that?”

“Sam-“ She began and he cut her off, a determined look on his face.

“You’re amazing and it is killing me right now that you don’t think so.” He paced a few steps back and forth a few feet away from her. “You know what I didn’t like about Quinn?”

Mercedes cut him off this time. “That she was hooking up with Finn behind your back?” It wasn’t meant as a barb, and it didn’t come out as one. Just a fact.

“That didn’t help, but before all of that stuff was going down there was this thing about her that drove me nuts.” He stopped pacing and looked at Mercedes. “She was always so scared, so fragile. She played that whole head cheerleader, hot bitch thing most of the time, but she was a wreck inside. Still is, actually. That’s why she’s with Finn, to get a hold on this title she puts so much stock in, but it’s all bullshit. It’s the desperate act of a scared little girl.” Sam watched Mercedes’ face turn to shock. He knew that she and Quinn were kind of close around the time Beth was born, but that all went out the window when the new school year started. Quinn’s friendship with Mercedes was a casualty of Quinn’s year of self discovery and reputation rebuilding.

“You, Mercedes, you’re acting just like her and pretending like you aren’t.” Sam told her, walking up to her so they were only a few inches apart. “You’re strong and all those jokes you make about being the hottest bitch in the room or a big mug of steaming hot chocolate-“ He shook his head and bit his lip. “You say them like you’re so sure you're the only one who sees it that way. Like that is why it is a punchline. It’s so frustrating to watch because I know you’re better than that. You’re better than sitting there thinking no one wants you.” His voice went from determined to soft.

“If you’re so right, then how come I wasn’t asked to prom? Why did I have to share a date that was basically paid to be there with me?” Her eyes were damp and it was killing him.

“Because I’m a coward.” He said, his eyes meeting hers.

“What?” She asked, her face twisted with confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m a coward.” He repeated. “And I would’ve come tonight without the money or Rachel. I know it was her idea, and she did ask me to prom before that as her date alone.”

Mercedes looked surprised.

“I told her that she wasn’t my type. I’m pretty sure she only asked to get Finn jealous anyway. But I told her no because I was trying to figure out how to get up the nerve and money to ask you. I delivered pizzas, but all that money went to paying for food and medicine because mom got the flu.” He watched her face. “I kept hoping the money would come together. I kept hoping that the right moment would come to ask you. But I also know how everyone sees me. Quinn Fabray’s jilted ex. Santana’s beard. The surfer kid who no one knows is actually from Tennessee and living out of a motel with his family and hasn’t ever seen a surf board or the ocean in his life. I was scared you’d say no and I was too broke to follow it up if you said yes. So, I guess I let time and my situation talk me out of it. I’m so sorry.”

They stood in a stunned silence for a few long moments. Mercedes digested Sam’s revelation and Sam digested that he actually told her. Now the look on his face a few blocks ago made sense to her. When she pointed out that it was Rachel’s idea to ask him, his face was disappointment. She should’ve recognized it, she thought, she was familiar enough with it.

Sam stepped closer to her, closing the space between them to within a few inches. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you, Mercedes. Because you're gorgeous.” His lips twitched with a nervous smile.

Mercedes had to look away from his eyes, this was too real and she didn’t want him to see her cry. Too late, though, because he cupped her cheek with his hand and used his thumb to wipe a tear from her face. “Where is all of this coming from?” She asked, working to keep her voice steady.

Sam gave in to the nervous smile. “I don’t know.” He shrugged and brought his other hand to her face. “And I don’t care. It’s out now and I'm not taking it back.” She smiled up at him with another tear falling down to his hand on her cheek. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers sweetly. The kiss was short, but it already had them both breathless. She laughed and he moved his hand down to take hers on either side. “This is how I wanted it from the beginning.” He grinned. “I finally found someone with lips as big as mine.” She swatted at his chest and then ran her thumb over his bottom lip.

“One of the perks of dating a sister, full lips and full hips.” She stretched to her tip-toes and pulled him down into another kiss. “Better hold on Blondie, because this is going to be an interesting ride.” She ran her hand over his cheek and looked up at him fondly.

“Oh I’m not letting go, so we’re in this one together.” Sam told her with a wink. He momentarily hoped she didn’t think he was too cheesy.

“You’re adorable.” She chuckled and started to pull him so they would start walking again.

“Best prom ever.” Sam said as they walked, fingers laced together.

The End


End file.
